BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT OR-030-2013-13
For release: Immediate Release
Date: June 13, 2013 13:30 a.m.
Contact: Mark Wilkening
(541) 473-6218
Crowley Creek Fire and Stockade Fire:
Hard Work by Fire Personnel Pays Dividends
Vale, Oregon–The Bureau of Land Management, Vale District. Wednesday June 12, 2013. The
Stockade Fire and the Crowley Creek Fire were expected to merge on Tuesday evening but as of
Wednesday they were still separated by a narrow strip of land.
The fire perimeter on both fires saw some growth on Wednesday. The Stockade Fire has now
burned 6,613 acres and is 60 percent contained. The Crowley Creek Fire has burned 12,935
acres and is 60 percent contained.
Taking advantage of a wind shift, lighter winds on the Wednesday morning, and the arrival of
additional fire-fighting resources, allowed fire personnel to make excellent progress in containing
both fires. Late afternoon thunder cells created down drafts which tested containment lines but the
fire was kept in check. The fires are located 5 miles due east of Stockade Mountain in Malheur
County Oregon.
Resources on the Stockade Fire: 7 Engines, 2 twenty person hand crews, 1 helicopter and 10
overhead personnel..
Resources on the Crowley Creek Fire: 24 Engines, 5 twenty person hand crews, 7 bulldozers, 5
water-tenders, 2 helicopters and 35 overhead personnel. Because of the close proximity of the two
fires, resources are being shared as needed.
Three single engine air tankers (SEAT) working out of the Ontario Airport provided support to
ground forces during fire operations.
Three of the ranches in the Crowley Creek area were threatened along with numerous outbuildings
but crews were able to keep the flames away and no damage was sustained. Fire personnel
continue to maintain an excellent safety record.
The South Fork Fires (five small fires) continued to hold at 250 acres. One small flare-up
occurred Wednesday but crews were able to keep the flames from spreading and containment lines
were quickly secured in the area of the flare-up.
The Birch Fire, located near Huntington Oregon, started along I-84 on Wednesday evening at
about 6:50 p.m. BLM responded with 6 initial attack engines and three SEATs. Assisting the
BLM were Huntington Rural Fire with 3 trucks, Nyssa Rural Fire with 1 truck, Ontario Rural
Fire with 1 truck, Weiser Rural Fire with 1 truck, Baker Rural Fire with 2 trucks, Haines Rural
Fire with 2 trucks and Burnt River Rural Fire Protection Association with 3 trucks, Oregon State
Police and Oregon Department of Transportation. I-84 was temporarily closed due to thick smoke
blowing across the highway. Fire personnel were able to stop the fire at approximately 100 acres.
The area was patrolled through the night and will be monitored today.
The weather forecast for Thursday June 13 is winds from the northwest at 8-13 miles per hour
with gusts to 18 miles per hour increasing to 24 miles per hour in the afternoon. Temperatures are
expected to be cooler with the maximum between 60-72 degrees and humidity at mid –day at 1525 percent. Wednesday evening there is a 20 per cent chance of thunderstorms.
Resources are beginning to be released as fire personnel have gained the upper hand on all the
fires.
This will be the last update unless there is significant new fire activity.
For further information, or to report wildfires, please contact the Vale BLM Dispatch Center at
541-473-6295 or 1-800-982-0287.
Additional information about the BLM Vale District can be found by visiting the district website
at www.blm.gov/or/districts/vale.
-BLMAbout the BLM: The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This
land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM
also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM's multiple-use mission is
to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future
generations. In Fiscal Year 2012, activities on public lands generated $4.6 billion in revenue, much of which was shared
with the States where the activities occurred. In addition, public lands contributed more than $112 billion to the U.S.
economy and helped support more than 500,000 jobs.